MCG hoodoo continues to haunt the Brisbane Lions

Brisbane might yet finish in the top four for the fourth consecutive year at the end of the home and away season, but the Lions can't win the AFL premiership until they conquer their MCG hoodoo.

The Lions reign supreme at their Gabba fortress, but they must be able to win at the grand final venue.

Their coach Chris Fagan can try to put a positive spin after they were overrun by Richmond, but the Lions have lost their past 11 games at the MCG.

Fagan points out Brisbane has played there rarely in the past few seasons, but has lost in its only two appearances this year.

The AFL should abandon the sub rule at the end of this season as it is too open to exploitation.

Clubs are rorting the rule, which was introduced at the start of last year at their request.

It also puts enormous pressure on medical staff to make the right call on the spot.

Originally the rule was intended to provide for purely a concussion sub, but once it was changed to be a medical sub, opportunistic coaches have been quick to make a change.

This year 29 players who were subbed out have played the following week, but it is often difficult to determine if the reasons were legitimate or not and whether injuries will sideline players for at least the ensuing 12 days.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge believes the sub should be scrapped and replaced by a five-man interchange bench, but the AFL should not agree to that proposal.

The aim should be for fewer rotations and it should return to four on the bench - coaches have too much influence on how the game is run as it is.

The AFL is always seeking the perfect solution, but the competition is a war of attrition on a weekly basis and the best-equipped clubs to handle adversity triumph.

While the AFL has all of the good intentions of establishing a full-time team in Tasmania, its demand of a new stadium being built in Hobart remains perplexing.

Former Geelong president and AFL commissioner Colin Carter's detailed report released a year ago made a strong case for a Tasmania team to enter the competition, but there was no mention of the outcome being dependent on the construction of a stadium, which could cost up to $750 million.

It is important to note the AFL did not impose the same stipulation on Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, the teams most recently granted licences when they entered the competition last decade.

The Carter report outlined the importance of a stadium strategy, mentioning the need for funding guarantees from the Tasmanian Government and "clean" stadiums in Hobart and Launceston.

Hobart's Blundstone Arena and Launceston's University of Tasmania Stadium are "home" venues for North Melbourne and Hawthorn games - the question is, why can't these venues be upgraded with increased capacity, rather than spend so much money on a new facility?

Surely it would make far more economic sense to develop those venues with the assistance of the state government and other bodies, including Cricket Tasmania.

Instead of spending money on a stadium that would be used sparingly, the government would garner more popularity by devoting more resources to essential services such as health and education.

In the end, the AFL Commission and the 18 clubs have to be convinced about the financial viability of having a full-time team in the Apple Isle - and that appears to be far from a formality, particularly in clubland.

Geelong and Richmond ensured their milestone men Joel Selwood and Shane Edwards enjoyed joyous celebrations with victories.

The triple premiership heroes achieved their milestones on their home grounds, GMHBA Stadium and the MCG, although there were moments in both games that it appeared the happy endings would not be achieved.

In Edwards' 300th appearance in yellow and black, the Tigers came from 42 points behind in the second quarter against Brisbane to secure victory late in the game and keep their season alive.

The Cats turned around a half-time deficit with a dominant third quarter to take the game away from the Western Bulldogs as Selwood became the first Geelong player to reach the 350-game milestone.

His legendary feats in the blue and white hoops have been well documented and he holds the record as the game's longest-serving captain.

Edwards has been a quiet achiever at Tigerland, but he is one of Richmond's most highly-respected players for his consistent performances, particularly in big games, over a long period.

Finally, it's time to pay tribute to another veteran footballer who hung up her boots last weekend.

Sam (Lulu) Hall, 54, donned the AJAX guernsey for the final time, bowing out after her team lost its semi-final in the Victorian Amateur Football Association women's division two competition.

After finally getting the opportunity to play recently, the forward displayed enormous heart, commitment and dedication over her 17-game career and she will continue to be involved by coaching juniors and acting as team runner, but of course, I'm biased - Lulu happens to be my beautiful wife.

Email: howardkotton11@gmail.com